Promise
by Hawk of the North
Summary: Presea's having nightmares, monsters reappear, and Genis breaks down? Preloyd adventure! Rating expected to go up.
1. Dream Traveler

What ho, a new story? Like that's anything unusual for this site. A new story with Preloyd themes? Is a miracle! The northern hawk has returned, deleting a story he forgot to update and no longer remembers how it was supposed to go, only to replace it with a new story which he likes better anyway. Don't think many know about that other one, anyways. So now I bring you a Preloyd adventure, with what I think is a slightly, if not very, cliche opening, but hey.

Oh, and I solemnly swear that I in no way own Tales of Symphonia, its characters, or any of that other fun stuff, and am merely using them in a creative work that _does_ belong to me. Do not take credit for my mental workings, as you most definitely do not want to be associated with them.

* * *

It was dark.

Then again, was it? All around her, there was nothing but inky blackness, yet when she looked down at herself, her body was clearly visible; every stitch of her small, dark dress, her dull white gloves and boots, the strands of pink hair that fell from her brow, all as clear as if she were under a spotlight. Then, why could she not see anything – no sky or ceiling, no walls or horizon, not even the very ground she stood on?

Suddenly, in the distance, there was a flash of movement. She strained her eyes as hard as she could, hoping to get a glance of whatever else was with her. Cautiously, she called out a simple, "Hello?"

Nothing happened. There was no more movement, and no reply. After a minute of staring at empty space, she gave a dejected sigh and relaxed her eyes.

Suddenly, a breeze blew past, sending her pigtails swaying, ruffling her clothes. However, this breeze... she couldn't feel it. She knew it was there, but it did not cool her, and she could not tell where it blew from. On this breeze was carried a sound – a voice – impossible to clearly hear – familiar, yet very strange at the same time.

She tried as hard as she could to make out the voice, but simply couldn't. The breeze became a gentle wind, and the voice grew louder, yet still she could not hear it. The wind became a gale, and the voice became a shout, and finally she could hear the voice.

Her eyes widened, her limbs locked in fear. The words carried an immense amount of dread, dread she knew, but could not place. All she knew of the fear was that it was real, and greater than any fear she had experienced. The winds swirled around her, faster, and faster, until...

Presea jerked upright. Rapidly, she took in her surroundings. She was sitting on the ground, a small, woolen blanket loosely draped over her lap. She was in a small forest clearing, with two or three birds chirping softly in the cool morning light. There, across from her, snoring softly, was a young man whose blanket had slipped off of him sometime in the night.

The sight of him instantly brought relief to Presea. Lloyd Irving. She and the young swordsman had been traveling more or less alone for a month now, on a journey to collect the world's Exspheres so that they may not be used for wicked intent. Though they were early in their quest, and had yet to even collect a true fraction of the Exspheres, Lloyd was always saying how great they were doing. It was just like him to do that. He always kept an optimistic outlook, no matter the situation. Presea truly admired him for that.

One month of travel. One month since the fall of Cruxis and the reunification of the worlds. It seemed so short a time, but in this time Presea had been happier than she could remember being. Perhaps at one time, she had been even happier than she was now, but her memories were still lost in a haze. Though she was free from the Cruxis Crystal's influence, she still remembered only fragments of her life before the crystal.

With these thoughts running through her mind, Presea stood up and stretched her small body. She shortly began making breakfast while waiting for Lloyd to wake up.

She didn't have to wait long. Whether it was from the sounds of clanking pans or – and what Presea considered more likely – the smell of the sausages she was currently preparing, Lloyd began to rouse himself from his sleep. Rubbing his eyes slowly, he murmured a, "Good morning, Presea."

"Good morning," she replied. "Breakfast will be completed in approximately five minutes."

"Great," Lloyd said, folding up his blanket. Slipping it into his pack, he glanced over at his traveling companion. "Hey, Presea," he said, with slight concern, "are you feeling all right?"

Presea looked up from her cooking. "Why wouldn't I be?" she asked in confusion.

"You're drenched in sweat."

"Ah..." Presea replied, noticing for the first time that this was so. "It's... nothing. I merely had a nightmare."

"Must've been a bad one..." Lloyd said softly. As long as he had known her, Presea had almost never been scared, and even when she had been, she had still kept her self-control. If something, even a dream, had frightened Presea so badly...

"It is nothing... please, do not concern yourself," Presea insisted.

"If you're sure..." Lloyd conceded. Pulling a small cloth from his pack, he walked over to Presea and began mopping her forehead. When she stiffened, Lloyd said, "You're soaked. You'll get sick if you don't get dry."

Presea slowly relaxed, and returned to her cooking. "Very well..." she said. "Two minutes remaining until the food is prepared."

One of her rare, small smiles broke through. Out in a peaceful forest, cooking breakfast, with Lloyd watching out for her as he had since they met, it was impossible to feel afraid. Presea wasn't even sure what was so frightening, anyways. What could possibly be scary of the words, "I arrive," anyways?

* * *

Gasp! Shock! Awe! If you're not experiencing anything like that, you get no cookies. Mm... what's up with me and these one-word titles? All three - including teh deleted - were like that. Oh well. You know the drill. The three R's. Review, review, and review. Not... that I can force you to or anything. I'd like to be able to, but...

Next time, on Promise - Monsters! But wait, weren't Cruxis behind the monsters...?


	2. Deadly Flower

Duhbwhufuh? I posted this story only yesterday, very nearly twenty-four hours ago (really, it's a little over twenty-three hours), and I'm already posting the next? What can I say, this story's got my creative juices flowing like no other story in recent times. I'll need to start slowing down, though, or I'll burn out before long...

Ah, I still don't own the characters or the rights to Symphonia. I'm working on that, though.

* * *

"Agh, does this forest go on forever?" Lloyd moaned. "Why did we have to come here?"

Presea slowly shook her head at her companion. His impatience was one of his most obvious faults. "We are here investigating the rumors of an abandoned Desian storage building, in order to find more Exspheres," she told him.

"I know, but... geez. Why do we have to go on foot?"

"We only know which direction the building is said to be, and besides, there are very few places in which we could safely land the Rheairds in this forest," Presea calmly replied.

Lloyd sighed in defeat. "Well, we'd better find it soon..."

Presea raised in eyebrow. "Do you truly find it so unpleasant being with me?" she asked.

"Wh-what?" Lloyd stammered. "That – that's not what I meant, Presea! I just mean – that is – I..."

Presea couldn't help but flash him a quick smile. "I was simply joking, Lloyd."

"Ah... right," Lloyd said, turning red. This only amused Presea more, and she gave a soft chuckle. Lloyd could be so childish at times.

The two returned to silence, marching on. After a bit, Lloyd broke the silence once again, asking, "So, if this building's even here, it'll this way, right?"

Presea nodded. "We will be able to see it, at the very least."

"And if it's not here?"

"Then we will exit the forest at approximately six forty-three in the afternoon."

Lloyd gave Presea an incredulous look. "How is that approximately?" he demanded.

"I did not mention the seconds," Presea responded casually.

Lloyd continued staring blankly at her, and Presea looked right back at him. "... Is it that my jokes are too subtle?" she asked.

This brought a laugh out of Lloyd. "Maybe just a little," he replied.

"I apologize... I will work to make them clearer in the future," Presea told him.

"It's okay, it's probably me," Lloyd insisted with another laugh. "So, how about we have a race?"

Presea gave him a confused glance. "A race?"

"Yeah," Lloyd said, "first one to the Desian building wins."

"Yet, the building may not be here at all, and though we both have more stamina than the average person, neither of us will be able to run the remaining distance of the forest," Presea pointed out.

Lloyd grinned. "Doesn't stop us from trying," he said. "Ready set go!" With that, he took off. Presea watched him, bewildered, for a second, before quickly dashing after him.

"That was unfair!" she called after him.

Lloyd laughed. "The early bird can gather no moss!" he yelled back.

Presea chose not to comment on that, instead focusing on catching up with the boy. As she gained on him, Lloyd put on extra speed himself, eager to hold his ill-gotten lead. The two dashed past the trees, dodging branches, and leaping over brush, until they were both exhausted, panting heavily.

"Let's... call it a draw then... okay?" Lloyd huffed.

"All... right," Presea puffed.

The two of them stood there, doubled over and breathing hard, until they were able to catch their breath. As Presea straightened and turned to Lloyd, she caught sight of something between the trees.

"Lloyd! The storage facility!" she said eagerly.

"Really?" Lloyd replied, turning to look. As he did, Presea sped past him.

"I'm going to win our race after all," she taunted.

"What? No fair! It was a draw!" Lloyd called, running after her.

_Well,_ Presea thought, _there's nothing wrong with being childish on occasion._

* * *

The inside of the facility was rather clean for an abandoned building. There was only a thin layer of dust around, no garbage strewn around – it almost looked as if it was still in use.

It was a quick and easy mission once inside. The two had already learned that Desians usually stored Exspheres in the center of their buildings, so finding them was no problem. There was only one crate full of Exspheres; Presea estimated that it held seventy-six. The spheres were quickly disposed of by the two – the only way that they could truly be dealt with. Satisfied with a job well done, the two exited the building.

"All right," Lloyd said, "time to get out of this forest!"

"Taking into account the speed added by our race, and the time spent within the facility we should now be able to reach the edge of the forest around five thirty-two in the afternoon," Presea told him.

"Right then, let's go!" Lloyd said, but before the two were able to set out, they were both distracted by a sudden snapping sound. Whipping their heads to the source, they were startled to see a gigantic, razor-armed bug slowly making its way towards them.

"What the...?" Lloyd gasped.

"A mantis," Presea said. "An insect-like monster most commonly reported in plains and forested areas. Very low threat level to us."

"I know what it is," Lloyd answered quickly. "We've fought them before. But I thought Cruxis was behind the monsters?"

"Yes... that's true," Presea answered. "There have been no reports of any since the unification, either. This is very unusual."

"We should probably take this thing out, just to be safe," Lloyd said, unsheathing one of his swords. As he did so, though, a similar snapping came from behind them, and another mantis crawled into view. Another came from their left, and then another from their right. Several more appeared from different directions, until they were surrounded by ten of the creatures.

"Strange," Presea said with an odd calmness, "mantises are not supposed to be intelligent enough to intentionally surround their prey."

"That doesn't matter," Lloyd said urgently. "But you said they're not a threat, right?"

"... One was not a threat. Against ten, I believe we have a fifty percent chance of... losing to them." As she said this, she slipped her ax out of the pack she had been carrying.

"That means a fifty percent chance of beating 'em to a pulp, too," Lloyd said, unsheathing his second sword. "Let's do it!"

With that, the two flew into battle. Lloyd's swords flashed as they quickly sliced into the mantises' carapaces, before quickly dashing out of the range of their slashing arms. Presea, meanwhile, crushed into them with her large ax, sending them flying back, occasionally cleaved in two. One after another fell to the raging duo, until finally, their victory was clear.

"Whew," Lloyd grunted, sheathing his swords. "That was a workout."

This was followed by a terrible screech, as one last mantis dashed from the trees, its sickle-like arms already coming down on the swordsman.

"Lloyd!" Presea cried, and desperately threw her ax at the bug.

Right in front of Lloyd dropped the bug's arms, then its head, and finally, its body slumped to the ground.

"Lloyd!" Presea said again, dashing over to the young man. "Are you all right?"

Lloyd grinned. "Just fine, thanks to you."

Presea sighed in relief. "I'm glad."

"What about you?" Lloyd asked. "How are you holding up?"

"I have not sustained any serious damage," she assured him. "I do not understand, though... these monsters should not be around, and they were acting in a manner that is unusual for them."

"Yeah, it's weird," Lloyd said. "Maybe the Professor would know something about it. She said she and Genis were going to be in Asgard, right?"

"Lloyd, that was two weeks ago. By now, there is an eighty percent chance that they have moved on," Presea replied. "We have no clues as to their next destination, either. It would be best to consult someone else. Yuan would probably be the best choice, though he may not wish to speak with us."

"We won't know if we don't try," Lloyd said. "If he won't, we'll try and find Raine and Genis, alright?"

"That is acceptable," Presea agreed. "As soon as we are out of the forest, let us head to the Triet Base, then." Lloyd nodded, and the two began their trek out of the woods.

* * *

Mm, the ending seems a bit choppy, I think... and the battle sequence was too short... easily predictable... not that they'll all be that way, oh no. I just didn't want to have to do a whole bunch of writing over a bunch of wimpy mantises. :)

Oh, and a shout-out to my first reviewers, Dawnstarshine and Ilko Skevuld (which is a completely awesome name, by the way). Hope this chapter didn't let either of you down - though if it did, tell me, so's the next one won't.

Coming up next - Triet Base, an angsty angel, and a surprise character appearance! Place your bets on who it is now!


	3. Associate

Ah, hello again. I meant to have this chapter up yesterday, but... oh well, one day off isn't too big a foul. This is a bit of an exposition chapter, by which I mean we've got a whole lot of talking and not much else. Well, I did mix in some other stuff at the beginning, try and keep my readers from getting bored by nothing but explanations and new questions. Seriously, people, this stuff is plot-necessity. We want to get to the creamy center, we'd better take off the wrapper first.

Oh, and Tales of Symphonia and its characters still do not belong to me.

* * *

Lloyd had never much liked Triet. Everything was hot, everything was dry, and everything was sandy, including Lloyd. Even flying above the desert on Rheairds wasn't much better. He was very happy when they finally docked in the Triet Base.

After Cruxis' defeat, the Renegades had mostly disbanded. Only a handful remained, by choice, continuing to serve under Yuan. No one but the Renegades knew what they were doing without Cruxis to fight, and they didn't care to tell. However, they were fairly short-handed, and had altogether abandoned the base near Flanoir, leaving Triet as the only active Renegade base, and also served as Yuan's home.

As Lloyd and Presea dismounted their Rheairds, the angel strode in to the hangar. He didn't look overly pleased to see the uninvited guests, but the two had expected that. Though, at the same time, Presea thought she might have seen a slight look of relief? Then again, she wasn't very good at reading emotions.

As Yuan reached them, he instantly said, "Why are you here?"

"Hello to you too," Lloyd muttered.

"Yuan, we encountered a strange phenomenon that we believed you may be able to shed some light on," Presea said, unfazed by Yuan's rudeness. Even when they had worked side-by-side, Yuan had never been anything but curt, after all.

"Is that so?" Yuan said, though he didn't seem remotely interested. "Well, it will have to wait."

"Why?" Lloyd demanded.

"You'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, have one of the Renegades escort you to –"

"Yuan!" a bright, happy voice called out.

"Damn... too late," Yuan said under his breath.

"Here you are, Yuan! I – oh, Lloyd, Presea!" A certain young blonde girl bounded into the room, grinning widely at the site of her two friends.

"Colette! I didn't know you were here!" Lloyd said, returning the grin.

"It is very nice to see you again, Colette," Presea added, with a small smile. "What brings you here?"

"I'm visiting Yuan, of course!" Colette answered. "After all, he's our friend!" Yuan didn't look especially friendly at the moment, but Colette didn't seem to notice. "Oh, right, look Yuan, I made you a sweater! Try it on!" she said eagerly, shoving it into his arms.

Yuan looked down at it and sighed. It was clear that Colette wasn't very good with sewing. Several strange lumps were scattered randomly around it, the sleeves were uneven, and it looked like she had run out of yarn, given that towards the bottom it changed from a navy blue to a shocking hot pink.

"Colette..." he said slowly, "we're in a desert. I am not wearing a sweater." _Not that I would have worn it anyways, _he added silently.

"Oh..." Colette said. "I forgot. I'm sorry."

Yuan sighed again. She was a good kid, he supposed, but by the tree she got on his nerves so much! If someone had to visit him, why couldn't it have been Raine or Regal or someone whose personality _wasn't_ a complete mismatch to his?

"Whatever..." he muttered. "Lloyd, Presea, you two had something you wanted to talk about? Come with me to my office." At least those two offered him a break from the chipper Chosen.

"Alright," Lloyd said. "C'mon, Colette!"

Yuan had to struggle not to curse.

* * *

Yuan slipped behind his desk, while the other three pulled up chairs to the front of it. When everyone was seated, Yuan said, "Now, you said you witnessed something strange, correct?"

"That's right," Lloyd answered, "we saw monsters." Colette and Yuan both couldn't help but stare for a second.

"That's impossible," Yuan told him. "You must have made a mistake."

Presea shook her head. "There is no mistake. We encountered no fewer than ten mantises. However, there is something else. They were acting unlike any mantises I have ever heard of. They worked as a pack, and managed to circle us. We were even ambushed by one that had managed to remove itself from our detection."

"And you came to me because Cruxis controlled the appearance of monsters," Yuan finished, and Presea nodded her agreement.

Yuan leaned back slightly in his chair. "I'm not sure what to tell you," he said. "Now that Cruxis is gone, there shouldn't be any monsters."

"What do you mean?" Lloyd asked.

"Cruxis actually created the monsters," Yuan told them, earning a surprised look from the three. "They were crafted from mana and sent to the declining world to help keep things dangerous, so that the Cruxis Crystal would awaken. From Derris-Kharlan, it was possible to transfer the monsters simultaneously to the worlds, and back again. When Derris-Kharlan left, it should have also lost its connection to the monsters, causing them all to basically self-destruct. Complete particle disintegration."

"That's terrible!" Colette gasped.

Lloyd gave her an odd look. "... We're talking about monsters, Colette." He shook his head. "Anyways, so what you're saying is that it should be impossible for monsters to still be around, right?"

"That can't be," Presea said. "Is there no way that a small group of these creatures could have avoided being destroyed?"

"Only if they were on Derris-Kharlan," Yuan replied.

"Could someone else be making monsters now?" Colette suggested.

"Yeah, that's it!" Lloyd said eagerly. "Someone else has started making monsters and is using them!"

"Impossible," Yuan interrupted. "Monsters had to be created on Derris-Kharlan. The strength of mana all around was vital to their creation. The only places in this world that have enough mana for monster creation are the seals, and I have those under surveillance already."

"Why?" Lloyd asked.

"That's not the issue here," Yuan told him. "What's important is that a group of creatures that shouldn't exist does. No matter why they're here, I doubt it's a coincidence that they attacked you."

"Then, you think someone is using them in an attempt at our lives?" Presea said. "What purpose would they have in this?"

"Who knows?" Yuan shrugged. "It could be someone who had connections with Cruxis, looking for revenge against the ones who brought it down."

"Then the others are in danger, too!" Lloyd said, leaping to his feet. "We've got to warn them!"

"What we need to do," Yuan said, "is track down whoever is creating new monsters and put a stop to it."

"Lloyd's right," Colette said. "We have to tell the others first." Presea nodded in agreement.

"It'll waste time," Yuan said. The three looked at him, unfazed, until he gave in with a sigh. "Fine, fine. I can get in contact with Zelos, if it'll speed you up."

"I'll tell Sheena and Regal," Colette volunteered.

"Which leave Genis and the Professor for me and Presea," Lloyd said.

"That will be difficult, as we still do not know where they are," Presea reminded him.

"They're in Luin," Yuan said suddenly.

"How'd you know that?" Lloyd asked in surprise.

"I have my ways. Now go, hurry up. We don't have any time to waste."

* * *

No, it's not how you're thinking he knows. There is no romantic connection between the two. Eh, but who knows, that could change, I do like toying with characters' emotions.

Anyways, hope you weren't too bored with our bit of exposition. If you got the wrong idea at the beginning, I do not have anything against Colette. I just think she and Yuan are complete opposites, and so their interaction is very fun. ... And that Colette's not that bright. Which doesn't mean I dislike her!

Tune in next time, to see - The Sage Siblings, Luin, everything I told you to be expecting in this chapter! Yeah, 'cause we're following Lloyd and Presea, not the others. They'll come later.


	4. Little Madam

Wahwahwahwah... this chapter is so late. It's been over a week and a half, right? Blaaaah. I'd tell you what took so long, but I'm afraid you'd kill me if you knew I was too busy playing Pokemon to write this. And I come back only to give you what I believe to be a sub-par chapter that I only wrote because I need this stuff done? Kinda like last chapter, which people seemed to like, but I'm bettin' ya that ain't gonna happen this time. Man, I've got lousy self-esteem.

I own Tales of Symphonia and its characters. Only not.

* * *

"Raine, I'm bored," Genis whined. "Why are we just sitting around? Why can't we do something? We're not even trying to speak out against half-elf discrimination here."

Raine sighed. "Genis, the people here already know and respect us, even though we're half-elves. That does more against the racism than any speeches or pamphlets or anything else. It's already started here."

"Then why are we even here?" Genis demanded. "Shouldn't we be out in towns that _haven't_ started accepting half-elves?"

"We defeat Cruxis, and then go off on this journey with barely a pause. I need a break. And that's final."

Genis slumped down in the bench he and Raine were on. He stared gloomily at the fountain across from them, which is where a statue of one Lloyd Irving stood. "Wish he was here," Genis muttered. "He'd make things fun." _Plus he's traveling with Presea right now, so she'd be here too,_ he thought with a small grin.

"Be careful what you wish for," Raine said sagely. "If Lloyd was here, during his journey, it would likely be a little _too_ exciting." _And I'm not letting anything get in the way of my break_, she thought with a small grin.

"Man, Genis and the Professor are going to be so surprised," Lloyd laughed.

Presea shifted on her Rheaird to look over at her traveling companion. "We are not going for a friendly visit – this is an emergency situation," she reminded him.

"I know, but still, can't I be happy to see my friends again?" Lloyd replied.

"Ah... no, there's no problem with that," Presea conceded. "I am eager to see them as well. Still, it would be best if we remembered why we are visiting them in the first place."

"Fine, fine," Lloyd said, slightly deflated. He perked back up fairly quickly, though, saying, "There's the town!"

Presea glanced beneath them, and sure enough, there was Luin. "We should land at the western entrance, to begin our search at the inn," she suggested. Lloyd nodded, excitement at seeing their friends very obvious, and the two began to land.

An hour and a half later, Lloyd was considerably less upbeat. "Man, everyone's saying they're somewhere they're not," he complained.

"It makes sense that they would move around," Presea pointed out.

"And was Luin always this big?" Lloyd continued as if he hadn't heard her.

"No, from the air, I noticed two new residential areas and one new commercial area. It seems the city is continuing to grow without out aid now."

"That's great and all, but we've been all over and haven't seen Genis or the Professor. This is like a wild goose chase."

"Perhaps you're right," Presea said. "I suppose we should go to the inn and wait for them to return, as this is getting us nowhere."

"Come on, Sis, let's just go back to the inn; at least it'll be cool there," a familiar voice suddenly drifted from behind.

"Or not," Presea said, shocked at the sudden, almost contrived, development.

"Not yet, Genis," Raine was telling her brother.

"Why not?" Genis demanded.

"I'm still working on my tan," came the smooth reply.

"You know, Professor, I'm not sure you can get a good tan while fully clothed," Lloyd said, and the two siblings jerked their heads in his direction in surprise.

"Also, you have a tendency to burn without as much as a hint of a tan," Presea added.

"Lloyd! Presea!" Genis said happily. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Please tell me it's just a social call..." Raine muttered. She was finally getting a break, and she really didn't want anything to interrupt it.

"Afraid not," Lloyd said, and Raine groaned. "It's an emergency."

"Emergency?" Genis cut in. "What's wrong? Presea, you're all right, right?"

Presea gave the half-elf boy a confused look. "If I were not, would I be standing here giving you this news?" she asked.

"Ah... right," Genis said, very embarrassed.

"Then what's the problem?" Raine asked grudgingly.

"Lloyd and I had an encounter with a group of monsters behaving very strangely," Presea explained.

"Monsters? But they're –" Genis began.

"Yeah, yeah, gone. We know," Lloyd interrupted.

"What do you mean, they were behaving strangely?" Raine asked suddenly, with a look in her eyes that made Lloyd and Genis sigh.

"It was a group of mantises; however, they worked as a pack to surround and ambush us," Presea explained.

"Fascinating!" Raine said excitedly. "I would love to have witnessed that!"

"You'd want to be surrounded by monsters?" Genis said sarcastically. "Somehow I'm not surprised."

"Do you know something about it, Professor?" Lloyd asked.

"No, not a thing!" Raine said, if anything _more _enthusiastic.

"Figures... not even Yuan knew anything about it," Lloyd muttered.

"You went to Yuan before us?" Genis demanded, a bit hurt that they would go to a sometimes-enemy before their companions.

"We did not know where to find you at the time," Presea explained. Genis happily accepted her explanation.

"No time for that, we need to get back to Yuan and figure this out!" Raine said eagerly.

"... You're not at all concerned, are you? You just want to study this," Lloyd said.

"Of course not," Raine said unconvincingly. "Now let's go, let's go!"

"All right, where are your Rheairds?" Lloyd asked.

"Oh, we left the Wing Pack back in the hotel, didn't we...?" Raine muttered.

"Then, Lloyd and I will go on ahead and let Yuan know you are coming," Presea said.

"What? But, but," Genis stuttered.

Presea tilted her head. "There is no real need for us to stay together at the moment, is there?" she pointed out. "Besides, Lloyd and I have recently witnessed how Yuan feels about unexpected guests. It is better that we separate."

Genis kept opening and closing his mouth while Lloyd and Presea waved and walked off. When his voice kicked back in, he instantly said, "Let me ride on your Rheaird, Presea!"

Of course, by this time, Raine had already dragged him halfway back to the hotel, and Lloyd and Presea were long gone. Just the two of them, he thought slightly bitterly, not noticing the strange look Raine (who was still dragging him) was giving Genis for his outburst.

* * *

Hehe, "Raine said sagely." I punned. ANYways, this is normally where I talk about the chapter and next chapter, only I've already told you I'm disappointed with myself for this chapter and I'm not giving away what's happening next. Upcoming chapter is fun time chapter. Oh, very well, I will tell you that it has nothing to do with Yuan, Triet, or the Triet Base.

Tune in next time, when stuff will happen!


	5. Lone Girl

Well, hello again. In order to make up for my own disappointment with the last chapter, which doesn't seem to have been taken well by the readers, either, I've been spending hours perfecting my next installment, which I bring to you the very next day to make up for that disaster. It's actually quite a bit easier to write this now, since I'm through with the stuff I _need_ to do for the story, so I can go on to the stuff I _want _to do. I had a fun time with this chapter, and am pretty happy with the end result. I managed to fix the parts I downright didn't like without detracting anything from the story, and I hope you'll all appreciate the hard work I put into this one. Also, I'm considering rewriting chapter four, what are your thoughts on that?

I am currently negotiating a deal with which to acquire the rights to Tales of Symphonia and its characters, but at the moment, do not own them.

* * *

Around the same time as Genis came back to his senses, high in the sky, Presea turned to Lloyd. 

"Genis was acting oddly when we left..." Presea commented.

"Ah, he's been doing stuff like that for a while now, haven't you noticed?" Lloyd replied.

"Has he? I wonder what causes it?"

"No clue," Lloyd said with a shrug.

They fell momentarily silent, simply flying along. Presea gazed down at the wide, grassy plains as they flew by overhead, observing the plants and animals that shot beneath them.

"It's odd, isn't it?" she said suddenly. "We haven't seen any more monsters since the forest."

"You're right," Lloyd said. "No one in Luin mentioned anything like that either, and they probably would've if something had happened."

"I suppose there are only a limited number of them, given that they are crafted from high concentrations of mana, which is rare to find constant sources of," Presea suggested. "After defeating the mantises, whoever is behind the creatures is likely to be rethinking their strategy."

Lloyd suddenly looked worried. "I hope Colette is safe..."

"Yes, I do as well," Presea agreed. As she said this, she noticed that she was feeling an emotion that she couldn't recall feeling before. She wasn't sure what it was, but it sort of felt like unhappiness. This didn't make sense, though; she wished no harm to Colette, genuinely wanted her to be safe, so why would she feel something unpleasant at Lloyd voicing the same concerns?

Before she could think any more on the subject, she was forced out of her thoughts with a sudden smack. With a yelp of pain, she buried her face in one hand, the other still gripping the Rheaird.

"You alright, Presea?" Lloyd asked, concerned.

"Yes... a bird flew into me," she said through her hand. She slowly looked up. "Odd... they normally stay away from the Rheairds."

"Presea, your forehead's bleeding!" Lloyd exclaimed worriedly, but before anything more could be said, they were disoriented by a sudden flash. Almost instantly after, a black, laser-like beam, seeming to suck in all the light around it, shot into the back of Presea's Rheaird, and straight out the front. Presea couldn't help but yell as her Rheaird began to buck wildly, quickly being thrown off.

"Presea!" Lloyd yelled, sending his Rheaird into a steep dive in an attempt to catch her. However, the girl kept falling faster and faster, too fast for even the Rheaird to catch, unless Lloyd wanted to fall down with her. He was helpless to do anything but watch fearfully as his dear friend plummeted to the earth.

* * *

Presea slowly opened her eyes. For a moment, she simply stared up at the canopy of leaves above her. She sat up stiffly, looking around at her forested surroundings, trying to recall how she had ended up here. The last thing she remembered was being with Lloyd on the Rheairds, and then... 

Her eyes widened as she recalled her fall. She quickly inspected herself, and was relieved to see that she hadn't been hurt. Relief was quickly replaced by confusion, as she noticed there wasn't so much as a bump or bruise anywhere on her, from her head to her feet. By all rights, she should be...

"Dead," she finished softly. "Am I... dead?" That was the only explanation she could think of. How else could she have ended up in a forest, completely unharmed, after falling from the sky towards empty plains? Hadn't Lloyd said her forehead was bleeding? Was this the afterlife, then?

Presea pulled herself to her feet. As she did, a small, white rabbit hopped into view. It froze as it noticed Presea, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Hello, bunny," Presea said softly. "Are you dead too?" She wasn't sure why she was speaking to a rabbit. Perhaps it was the shock of dying?

She was even more shocked, though, when the rabbit shook its head. The two stared at each other for a minute longer. This made no sense to Presea. Rabbits couldn't understand human speech, and even if they could, would they know how to answer? Maybe it was just a coincidence.

Testing that last theory, Presea asked, "Is this the afterlife?" The rabbit shook its head again. "Are you a rabbit?" she questioned. To this, the rabbit blinked deeply, as if in surprise, and nodded. As senseless as this was, it seemed that the rabbit was actually communicating with her.

Fearfully, she asked another question. "... Am I dead?" The rabbit looked at her for a bit, and then shook its head. Somehow, being told this, even by a rabbit, was reassuring, and Presea breathed a sigh of relief. "Where are we?" she asked.

The rabbit tilted its head to one side. Presea waited a moment, before questioning, "Can you... talk?" The rabbit shook its head. _Great,_ Presea thought. _So we're limited to yes and no._ Somehow the fact that she was talking to a rabbit at all was lost to her at this point.

"Well, do you know how to get out of here?" Nod. "Can you show me?" Shake.

"Why not?" Presea exclaimed. The rabbit tilted its head again, and Presea sighed. "Then, I'll just have to find the way out myself. No matter which way I go, I'll get out eventually." The rabbit began shaking its head wildly at this, and Presea raised an eyebrow at it. Then, her thoughts turned to the odd Gaoracchia and Torent Forests, which both seemed able to loop infinitely should you take a wrong turn. "Oh, is there a particular path I have to take?" The rabbit shook its head again, and Presea raised her eyebrow again. "... Are you saying it's impossible to just walk out of here?" The rabbit nodded, seeming pleased that she finally understood.

Presea slumped against a tree, looking very worried. She had no idea how to get out of this forest, and the only one who she knew did, couldn't say a word.

The rabbit hopped over to Presea, and nuzzled her hand in what she supposed was meant to be a reassuring manner. Presea sighed and patted the rabbit on the head. "I don't suppose you could at least get me some food, could you?" she asked. The rabbit nodded, hopped a few times away, and looked back at Presea as if to say, "This way!" Presea nodded back, and began to follow the rabbit, as it led her deeper into the forest.

* * *

So, we've only had two constant characters, and all the rest have been coming and going, in and out, never staying, probably not the best way to write a story. The obvious thing to do is bring in more constant characters, right? I just split up the two I've got now. Woo! Oh yeah, and you probably noticed early on that I got bored of how platonic the relationship was, so added in my first hint of brewing romance. Don't worry, Presea, you're still a good person, even if you are getting jealous over Lloyd's attention. That's what it was, by the way.

Next up: Follow the white rabbit down the rabbit hole! Also, a quick check-in with Lloyd and the gang at Triet Base.


	6. Paw Mania

It's the weekend again. I seem to be best at updating this story o' mine on the weekends. So naturally I have another chapter for you. Well, _I_ like how it turned out. It's time to start building the plot up. New recurring character added in this'n, not that you really find out much about said character just yet. All in good time. Slightly cliche stuff going on in this one. Enjoy!

Do I really need to keep telling you that I don't own the rights to ToS or its characters?

* * *

"Lloyd Irving is requesting hangar access."

"Granted," Yuan nodded to his subordinate, who repeated this through his communication device. He, Raine, and Genis were currently in Yuan's office, where the two were being brought completely up to speed.

"They're very late," Raine said. "I wonder what kept them?"

"We'll find out soon enough," Yuan replied. "No point in gossiping about it." Turning back to the Renegade, Yuan said, "Bring Lloyd and Presea here immediately."

"I'll do it!" Genis perked up eagerly. Yuan shrugged his lack of care, and Genis dashed out towards the hangar, eager to see Presea again.

As he arrived at the hangar, he was greeted by the sight of Lloyd, and only Lloyd, sliding off a Rheaird.

Walking up to him, Genis asked, "What's going on, Lloyd? Where's Presea?" As he drew close and got a good look at Lloyd, Genis added in surprise, "Are you crying?" Lloyd never cried, never so much as shed a tear, and hadn't for as long as Genis had known him. "What's going on?" he asked again.

"She fell, Genis," Lloyd said. Genis instantly knew what he meant, but couldn't do any more than gape blankly at Lloyd. "She fell. Something... destroyed her Rheaird, and she... I tried to – but I couldn't... and she... fell, right in front of me, and... she's gone."

Their eyes met, and the two best friends, who had boldly gone through an adventure that would have broken most, both lost control of their emotions and began sobbing.

* * *

Presea gazed down at the small pile of berries and vegetables in front of her. Very small, really – no doubt a full meal for a rabbit, but for Presea, it would only barely classify as a snack. She glanced over at the rabbit, who was watching her expectantly. With a soft sigh, she said, "Thank you," and quickly ate the meager meal. She would have liked some meat, but knew better than to ask for that.

When she was finished, she looked back at the rabbit. "Well, now what?" she asked. The rabbit tilted its head in confusion. "... What do you normally do after you've eaten?" Presea continued. To this, the rabbit nestled down and closed its eyes, and unless Presea was mistaken, pretended to snore.

"I'm not sleeping right now," she told the rabbit, who looked up and tilted its head again. "I sleep all night, and stay awake all day," Presea explained.

The rabbit laid its head on its forepaws, seemingly thinking. Then, without warning, it jerked its head up in alarm, and quickly scampered away, disappearing into the underbrush, leaving Presea behind and bewildered.

"Hello?" she called after it in confusion. "... Where did you go? Bunny?" Nothing. Presea scanned the area, searching for any sign of the rabbit. Suddenly, a shadow passed overhead. Jerking her head up rapidly, she strained her eyes against the canopy of leaves to find the source of the shadow.

She didn't have to look long, because it landed on a nearby branch, and looked right back down at her. Presea couldn't get a good look at it – from this angle, it looked mostly like a shadow itself – but it was definitely a large bird, almost as big as Presea.

The two stared at each other for a good minute, neither making any move. Finally, the bird clicked its beak twice, and said, "Hello there."

Presea nearly fell from surprise. "You can talk?" she asked, bewildered.

"But of course," the bird replied. "We can't all be stupid, mute foodstuffs." The bird clicked its beak again, and Presea suspected it was laughing. "Not that all foodstuffs are mute, oh no."

Suddenly defensive, Presea warned, "I would not advise attempting to eat me, unless you plan to end up on my ax."

Once again, the shadowy bird's beak clicked in laughter. "Oh, Presea," it said, to which she stiffened. "I have no intention of eating you."

"How do you know my name?" she demanded warily.

"Why wouldn't I?" the bird replied. "I know so much about you, it would just be odd if I didn't."

"It's odd that you know anything about me at all," Presea retorted.

"Is it really?" the bird said. "I know less about you than I thought, though. Shouldn't you be fully under the control of the Cruxis Crystal?"

"How... how do you know about that?"

"Hm, hm... so you were. How long?"

"... Sixteen years," she answered with a suspicious look. "Why does that matter to you?"

"Sixteen years," the bird repeated, ignoring her question. "He'll be pleased, then. Everything is fine."

"What are you talking about?" Presea demanded.

"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," the bird laughed. "Oh, who am I kidding, I have to kill you anyways."

"What?! You said you weren't –"

"- going to eat you," the bird finished, suddenly diving down rapidly at Presea. Too fast for her to get her ax out, too fast to dodge, Presea didn't know what to do.

Then, she was falling. No... sliding. A sloped tunnel? Yes... her eyes were adjusting now, and she was definitely sliding down an earthen tunnel. How had this happened?

As the tunnel evened out, she got her answer.

"Hello again, bunny," Presea said.

The rabbit nodded happily, as did the four rabbits behind it. All five turned, beginning to hop deeper into the tunnel. The first looked back, and jerked its head in a "This way!" manner. Presea gave a small smile, and followed the group.

Eventually, the tunnel widened into a cavern, which to Presea's surprise, was filled with dozens of rabbits. "Your home?" she asked the first, who nodded. Glancing at the mass of rabbits, many of whom were looking their direction, she commented, "They don't look very happy." The rabbit shook its head slowly. "This place is supposed to be secret, then," Presea said. The rabbit nodded.

"Perhaps I should leave," she offered. The rabbit tilted its head and closed its eyes tightly. Presea wasn't quite sure why, but suspected it was trying to figure out how to tell her something. Finally, it looked pointedly towards a tunnel on the other side of the cavern, back at Presea, and then at the tunnel again.

Presea, trying to figure out what it was saying, guessed, "You want me to go through that tunnel?" The rabbit nodded. "Is it the way out of this forest?" she asked, with a hint of eagerness creeping into her voice. The rabbit nodded again. "You couldn't show me because it was in your secret home, then." The rabbit paused, and then nodded.

"Well... thank you," she said. She began crossing the cavern, with rabbits – often grudgingly – moving out of her way. As she reached the tunnel, she turned around and waved at her rabbit friend. "Thank you, bunny!" she called back, before disappearing into the tunnel.

One of the rabbits turned to the first, with a concerned look that meant, "Are you sure she'll be safe through there?"

The first returned the look with another look that said, "I hope so."

* * *

Woo. Fun time. Villainous bird who is interested in Presea's Cruxis Crystal while rabbits knowingly send Presea into unknown danger. It will be known next chapter, though, while the plot continues to thicken. Yet still animal-icious. And yes, every bit you have seen here is going to be important for the story. Do not question my all-knowing wisdom. It's my story, after all.

Next time - Molemen! Er, no, actually. Presea'd probably prefer that to what she's going to run into down there, though.


	7. Bursting Girl

And pow, here it is. The chapter that makes my return official. Sorry again for the delay, and I hope you all continue to enjoy the story. ... I really don't have much to say today, do I?

* * *

It was dark.

Then again, was it? All around her, there was nothing but inky blackness, yet…

Presea's thoughts trailed off as she realized this was very familiar. Thinking back… yes, it was a dream. She had dreamed this before. Was she asleep again? Was it all a dream? That would certainly explain a lot.

There, the sudden movement, just like she had dreamed before. This time, Presea didn't bother trying to make it out, or call to it, remembering clearly that this had been useless before. What had happened next, though? She tried hard to remember. A voice? Yes, a voice she had never heard. What had it said? Wasn't it…

"Ah, you've arrived."

Twirling around, reaching for her axe, Presea faced the speaker. It was a middle-aged man, fairly tall and very thin, with jet-black hair – how could she make out his hair so well when all around them was black? – and wearing a suit.

"Who are you?" Presea demanded, her voice dripping with mistrust, as her hand found the shaft of her axe.

The man smiled gently. "No one you need to fear, I assure you." Presea didn't remove her hand from the axe. With the same smile, he continued, "If you need a name, well, you can call me Chris. Short for… well, that doesn't really matter. I'm here to guide you."

"Guide me," Presea repeated unbelievingly.

"Yes, to take you back home," Chris nodded. "After all, you don't belong here. You belong back in your own world, with Lloyd and the rest of your friends, yes?"

Presea's hand tightened on the shaft. "How do you know about Lloyd?"

Chris's smile faded into a puzzled look, then to one of sudden realization. "Ah, right, you wouldn't know about that. You probably don't understand anything that's been happening to you lately, do you? Mm."

"No, I don't," Presea said, "and the last… person… who knew anything about me here almost killed me, so if you don't start explaining, I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen again."

"Killed – why would – no one should – everyone would have – what?" Chris said, bewildered. "That doesn't make any sense. To kill you would… no, you don't need to know about that." Chris shook his head. "How odd, though, that… no, all that's important is getting you out of here – even moreso now."

"If you're going to get me out of here, then get me out of here," Presea said, as untrustingly as ever.

"Well, the way out you need is down."

"… Down?"

"That's right, down."

"How do I go down? I'm not even standing on anything, and I'm not moving at all!" Presea cried out, annoyed.

"That's because you don't want to go down," Chris replied calmly.

"Then why are you trying to send me there?" Presea replied less-than-calmly.

"Because you have to, whether you want to or not," Chris said.

Presea blinked. "Oh… you meant it like… is it safe to go down?"

"I don't know," Chris answered. "I can't go down."

"… Why not?"

"The exit will only work for you, of course."

"But you don't know if I'll die because I go down," Presea said skeptically.

"Well, it's either that or sit around here for ages, and believe me, it is extremely boring. Then there's those rabbits always jumping in here – they can't stand here, you know, always fall right through, and they'll fall forever, since they can't use the exit – and speak of the devil, there goes one now."

Sure enough, a rabbit had just popped into existence, and was now falling through the blackness. A small white rabbit, much like the one…

"Wait, that's –" Presea yelled suddenly, and the next thing she knew, she was dropping towards it with her arms outstretched. She fell faster than the rabbit, and in no time, she had caught it, holding it tight in her arms, as they both plummeted towards an unknown fate…

* * *

With a gasp, Presea jerked upright. Quickly taking in her surroundings, she realized she was sitting on a soft bed, in a small room with bare wooden walls. Through the doorway, she heard the sound of a woman humming, which grew progressively louder until the woman in question opened the door.

"Oh!" she said in surprise. "You're awake at last!" She was clearly an elderly woman, with pure-white hair, but her skin showed little sign of wrinkling. She was wearing a plain black dress, and was currently holding a large jar cradled in her arms.

"At last?" Presea asked quizzically. "Have I been unconscious for long, then?"

"I found you out in the fields two days ago," the woman replied. "I've been taking care of you as best I can, but it's good that you've recovered; I was getting rather worried."

"Well, thank you…" Presea began, but before she could get past this, who should jump onto the bed but the rabbit? Of course everyone probably saw that coming, which made it REALLY hard to write that part well… not that this is the place for this.

"Ah, yes, he refused to leave your side, he did," the woman said with a light laugh. "Your pet?"

"More of… a friend, really," Presea replied.

"Kids these days… adorable," the woman said with a chuckle. "I'll go fix you some stew, then, to celebrate your awakening." With that, she was gone.

Presea looked down at the rabbit. "Hello again, bunny," she said. "Why did you send me into the hole if… I mean, did you know it was dangerous through the hole?" The rabbit slowly nodded.

"Did you know it was the way out?" Shake. "Were you trying to…hurt me?" Rapid shaking. "Then… did you at least think that it was the way out?" Nod. "Why did you follow me, then?" The rabbit turned its head away, and Presea honestly thought she could see a bit of blush beneath its fur. "Were you worried about me?" The rabbit gave a slow nod.

With a small smile, Presea patted the rabbit lightly. "Thank you for everything," she said.

* * *

After a delicious fish stew, Presea turned to the old woman and asked, "Where are we, anyways?"

"Oh, this? This is a small fishing town, Izoold," the woman replied.

"Izoold… that sounds… familiar, but I can't place it."

"Not surprising," the woman laughed. "We barely qualify as a village, and everyone's got so many new places to remember as it is… we're just off of the Ossa Trail, if that's any help."

"Ossa Trail… oh! Then Triet is nearby?" Presea said, with a bit of eagerness in her eyes.

"Why, yes, just across the trail."

"Thank you for everything, but I need to leave. My friends will be worried about me."

"It's dangerous for a young girl like you out there," the woman said in concern. "You've already been in trouble once."

"That was… something else," Presea said. "I can take care of myself, honest."

"Well…" the woman said, not seeming swayed. "Am I going to be able to stop you?"

"There is no chance at all."

"Then… be careful out there, at least."

"Thank you for everything," Presea said. The rabbit slid into a pouch in the pack, which Presea then slung over her shoulder. "I will never forget your kindness." With that, she exited the door.

"What a strange young lady," the old woman chuckled to herself, taking a sip of the soup.

* * *

Lloyd was slumped against the outer wall of the Triet Base. Around him stood Raine, Genis, and Sheena, all very concerned about their friend.

"Lloyd, please, come back inside," Raine pleaded. "This isn't going to help anyone."

"She's right, Lloyd," Sheena said sympathetically. "I know it hurts… I'm hurting too. Please… come back inside. It's only right that you… you know… pay last respects." Lloyd turned his head as far away from Sheena as he could – as she was standing to his right, Lloyd turned left, towards Genis – though he stared over him at the desert sands beyond.

"Lloyd…" Genis said, looking very near tears. "This is… hard for me too. I don't want to believe it… but… but…" cutting off, he took a deep breath. "We have to… at least say… goodbye…"

"Presea…" Lloyd said softly.

"I know, Lloyd, I know," Genis said. "But…"

"Presea!" Lloyd yelled, and before the others knew what was happening, Lloyd was sprinting past Genis, away from the base.

"Lloyd…" Sheena started to call after him, before catching herself. Their jaws dropped as they saw exactly where Lloyd was heading – and who was heading straight towards Lloyd. Genis broke into a grin as his tears started flowing freely over a completely different emotion, while the two women hugged each other in their joy.

As soon as Lloyd reached Presea, he dropped down to his knees to pull her into a tight embrace. While at first too shocked to react, she soon recovered and hugged him back, an unusually large smile on her face, while Lloyd cried his relief on her shoulder.

From the base, Raine gave a knowing smile. "They make quite the cute…" she began, before cutting off, realizing that might not be the best thing to say in the present company. Sheena didn't pay much attention, all but jumping around in her excitement, but Genis' smile shrunk the tiniest bit.

* * *

What the - the rabbit came along? That wasn't my original plan! How'd that happen? How very strange. Now I'm going to have to think up a name for him. Well, anyways, I like how this chapter turned out. And Sheena's being there is not sudden or thrown in, 'kay? Collette went to get her, as you may recall. My more local critics forgot about that part; just making sure my long-distance readers didn't. Also, teehee, I am so mean to explain nothing about where she was or how she got there. Yet, at least. That world's not gone yet. Okay, time for my usual "next time on" stuff. Let's do it like an anime title this time. Those things are weird.

Next time, on Promise: Celebrate life! Confusing Emotions and a Mysterious Warning!


	8. Fragile Shield

Hello. It's only been a month. That's not _too_ bad, right? Got the next chapter for you. Had a fun time writing this one. I think I'm getting better with people's emotions. Well, enjoy.

Oh yeah, disclaimer. I don't own the stuff I've been telling you I don't own since I started writing this stuff. Is this necessary? I'm bored of doing it. This is the eighth time. Surely you know by now it's not mine.

* * *

It was an unusual feeling, walking into one's own funeral. As Presea and the others entered the room where the rest of their companions – Colette, Regal, and Zelos, of course - had gathered around an empty coffin to mourn, everyone turned and stared. As soon as they realized that their eyes were not deceiving them, they had rushed over and joyously began hugging Presea and each other – or rather, Colette hugged Presea, Zelos attempted to hold both, and Regal and Lloyd were all smiles as they blocked his path out of courtesy for the ladies. With everyone asking if she was okay, and whether this was a dream, Presea couldn't help but think it was a good feeling, having people who cared so much for her.

With the funeral cancelled, and the coffin taken to a storage room, everyone prepared to move on to the next order of business – a party to celebrate Presea's survival, idea courtesy Colette. Yuan muttered something about Colette being out to make him miserable, but as the entire group accepted the idea quickly, he grudgingly had the Renegades prepare a room for their celebration.

The Renegades really outdid themselves. Who would have thought that a secret organization created for preventing the revival of Martel in order to protect the world would know how to plan a party? The celebration was held in the base's cafeteria, which the party planners had dubbed the banquet hall for this occasion. There was a table that stretched nearly from one end of the hall to the other, filled with all sorts of food from all over the world. There was no chance of just the eight of them eating it all, of course, but several Renegades had temporarily abandoned their posts to join in the festivities (much to Yuan's annoyance). Someone had even rigged Yuan's intercom system to play music for the hall, leaving everyone once again to marvel at the wonders of magitechnology.

"This really wasn't necessary," Presea kept insisting, as flattered as she was. "There is still work to be done, and –"

"It's no problem, really!" Colette told her. "You're alive, and that's more important right now! Tell us where you've been! What have you done? How'd you survive the fall?" she shot off rapidly.

"What is up with this rabbit?" Zelos demanded from a nearby table, the rabbit in question attempting to nibble on his hair, Zelos desperately trying to keep his hair away.

So, Presea told them about the strange forest where she had spent her time away. In order to avoid causing her friends any worry, she left out the large bird and his cryptic words, but kept no other secrets. The rabbit, who had moved to Presea's lap, much to Zelos' relief, nodded occasionally to support her claims. He succeeded in that – it was hard to question even a story like that with a sentient rabbit as proof.

Her friends – and the Renegades who had joined the party – were as confused by the story as Presea was by the experience, but they didn't let that interfere with the celebration. They enjoyed themselves for several hours, until Genis accidentally drank a glass of wine, and Raine forced the party down, dragging the boy back to his room.

* * *

That night, a little past midnight, Presea realized she was unable to sleep. As tired as she was from the day's activities, her mind was buzzing with too many thoughts, questions about the events she had just experienced, preventing her from resting. With a sigh, she sat up in her bed and looked around the room the Renegades had provided. It wasn't anything fancy – really, just a bed, a chair, and a desk. The rabbit was currently sleeping on a pillow sat on top of the desk. He had fallen right asleep. Presea envied him.

The last thing Presea had expected was for there to be a knock on the door at this hour. It was very soft, presumably to avoid waking her if she was asleep. "Who is it?" she called softly. "The door's open."

The door opened, and Lloyd entered the room. "Hey," he said. "Am I bothering you?"

"Not at all," Presea said. "I was unable to sleep as it was. Your company is welcome."

Lloyd nodded, and slid into the chair. "I wasn't able to sleep, either," he admitted. "Today was… quite a day, you know?" Presea nodded, and Lloyd continued. "I was doing a lot of thinking… mostly about you," he told her, and Presea subconsciously sat up a little straighter. "I… really thought you were dead, and that it was my fault…."

"Lloyd, I'm fine," Presea assured him. "You had nothing to do with the events that took place. You have nothing to feel guilty for."

"I know, I know," Lloyd replied, "but still, I don't think I've ever been so… sad. That's why I…" Lloyd drifted off, and glanced towards the ground.

Presea noticed her heartbeat increase an extra twelve point two beats per minute. That was odd. "That's why you… what?" she pressed.

"That's why I… I want you to go stay in Iselia while we take care of the monster problem," Lloyd finished.

"What?" Presea demanded in shock.

"You almost died once already. I don't want to put you at risk again," Lloyd said. "You'll be safe in Iselia. It's always been –"

"Lloyd, I'm not going to Iselia," Presea interrupted. "I'm going to aid you in discovering the cause of the monsters, and in putting an end to it. We're working together already, after all."

"This isn't about the Exspheres, Presea!" Lloyd said. "We'll get back to those after the monster problem has been dealt with. While that's happening, though, I want you to wait in Iselia, where it's safe."

Presea felt a flash of anger. "I'm not so weak that I need to hide in a hole while you deal with all these problems yourself," she snapped. "I've had near-death encounters many times before, when we fought Cruxis. Why should this be any different?"

"I just want you to be safe!" Lloyd answered. "Presea, just go to Iselia. Wait for me there. I'll be back before you know it."

Presea stared at Lloyd, feeling far more emotional than she had felt since being freed from the crystal's effects. Her eyes were burning, her vision blurring. She felt angry, sad, annoyed, a little sick… but most of all, she felt betrayed. And, for the first time in sixteen years, she felt a tear run down her face. Another quickly followed, and her shoulders began to shake. Quickly, she turned away from Lloyd.

"Presea…" he said, a guilty look on his face. He moved over to sit on the edge of her bed, intending to comfort her.

"You… you forgot your promise," she choked out.

"What?"

"Your promise… you promised never to… never to leave me behind," she told him.

"I'm not leaving you behind," Lloyd insisted. "I'm just –"

"You are, Lloyd," Presea interjected. "You're leaving me behind in… in Iselia. You're going off to face danger, and I'm… I'm just sitting around waiting. What else would that be?"

"Presea…" Lloyd said again. Slowly, he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. That was more than Presea could take at this point, and she burst. She twisted around and buried her head in Lloyd's chest, clutching onto his shirt as she sobbed into him. Lloyd put his arms around her comfortingly. "All right," he gave in. "You don't have to go. You can stay… with me."

Presea wanted to smile, wanted to thank him for taking it back, but the tears wouldn't stop. So she just stayed there, crying into his chest, as he held her. They stayed like that, together, until they both drifted to the most comfortable sleep they could remember.

* * *

Elsewhere, Genis was experiencing a very _un_comfortable sleep. Tossing and turning in his bed, he had dream after dream of happy, every day situations suddenly turning into disasters. He went on a picnic, and was caught in a tornado. He went for a swim, and drowned. He took a stroll through the city, and the city collapsed around him. And every time something went wrong, someone was there, laughing at his misfortune. Sometimes it was Lloyd… others it was Presea. Always one of the two, watching, laughing.

Finally, Genis jolted awake. He pulled himself out of bed, slipping out of his sweat-drenched shirt and into a fresh one. He sat down in his room's chair and wiped his brow, thinking back on his dreams. They were just dreams, they didn't mean anything. They're just the subconscious mind having random activity. There's nothing to them.

'Yes, there is,' a voice suddenly said, causing Genis to jump.

"Who's there?" he called out nervously.

'No one's here but you, Genis,' the voice replied – and in fact, the voice was very similar to Genis'.

Genis fell back into the chair. "I'm going crazy," he muttered. "I've gone insane. Maybe it's the wine. Does alcohol make you hear voices?"

'Depends on how much you've had,' the voice laughed. 'You're not crazy though, Genis. You have your head firmly attached in reality – more than anyone I've ever known.'

"Who are you?" Genis demanded.

'Your dreams had a meaning, Genis,' the voice whispered, ignoring his question. 'Two of your closest friends are going to hurt you, more than you've ever been hurt before. What will you do when that time comes, Genis?'

"What are you talking about?" Genis asked. "You mean Lloyd and Presea are going to hurt me? They wouldn't! You're a liar! Get out of my head!"

'I'll talk to you later, Genis!' the voice said cheerfully.

"Go away!"

Silence. Genis waited apprehensively for a moment, before sliding back into bed. This was just another dream. In the morning, he was sure he'd have forgotten all about it.

* * *

Hello again. There's been a lot of tears these past few chapters, huh? Well, that's at an end for a while. I'm not sure how I like the beginning of this chapter, but I definitely think it got better as it progressed. I'm not very talkative today, am I?

Next time: So, my little brother invited a friend over. He's been over for, like, a week now. He drank all my Dr. Pepper. That was my only current source of caffeine. It makes me sad. Oh, and the little quest-type thing is finally beginning next chapter. About time, huh?


End file.
